


Morning In Your Eyes

by lovesthatuniteus



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-11
Updated: 2017-04-11
Packaged: 2018-10-17 13:32:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10595031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovesthatuniteus/pseuds/lovesthatuniteus
Summary: A missed flight debacle gives Jamie and Tyler a new perspective on their relationship.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I'm still very new to this, so I hope you enjoy!
> 
> The title comes from Norah Jones' "Sunrise."

The light filtering in through the partially closed blinds lights up the dust motes gently drifting through the air in the hotel room. The only noise is the soft rise and fall of breathing from the two double beds. Tyler’s eyes open slowly, taking note of the sunshine and the small trail of drool coming from his mouth that only happens when he gets a really good nights sleep.   But as his still sleeping brain turns over both of those pieces of information, his eyes widen and he sits up with a jolt. He stretches an arm out to the side table for his phone and quickly looks at the time.

_8:15. Fuck._

Tyler throws off the covers and simultaneously hurtles himself onto the other bed across the room. “Jamie! Dude, get up!”

His shoving at Jamie’s broad shoulder is having little affect on his sleeping captain, who only rolls over enough to give Tyler a murderous look and a grunt. Tyler unfortunately has no time to be sympathetic. “Fucking hell, Bennie, it’s eight fucking fifteen!”

“Fuck!”

Jamie sits up straight so fast that he almost dislodges Tyler completely. There’s a panicked look in his large eyes that makes it hard to believe that he was soundly asleep only moments ago. “Seggy, what the fuck? Our flight is in twenty minutes!”

“I know man, come on.”

“We’re not going to make it.”

Obviously Tyler knows that, the drive to the airport is at least 45 minutes on a good day. But his singular focus has to be on staying calm and getting them out the door as quickly as possible. “Jamie, get the fuck out of bed. We’re walking out of here in ten.”

It ends up being closer to fifteen, once Tyler calls a Lyft and Jamie manages to quickly stuff all his toiletries into his large duffel bag. As they gather themselves and check out of the hotel, Tyler does a passable job of making soothing noises in response to Jamie’s panicky mutterings. The wild look in Jamie’s eyes dims a bit once they’re settled in the back of the car, and he can finally look Tyler in the face. It’s either the shock, or the adrenaline, but neither of them can help the sudden burst of giggles that leaves them out of breath and clutching at each other’s arms. When they finally settle down a bit, Jamie gives Tyler a look that is an equal mixture of disbelief and amusement. “What the fuck happened dude?”

“I have no fucking clue. I swear to god we both set our alarms last night.”

“I know, we definitely did. What the fuck.”

“I don’t know. Holy shit.”

They sit quietly for a while, shaking their heads and trying to process the events of the last twenty minutes. They had been staying in Chicago for a couple days, just doing some press stuff and touring around before they were supposed to fly to Boston. Tyler’s friend from before the trade was throwing a big birthday party, and Jamie had nothing better to do in the summer than to come along. To be honest, Tyler had been really looking forward to this trip. Despite all that had happened, he loved Boston as a city and was always excited to go back. But the times that he and Jamie had been there together had been on such a tight schedule that Tyler didn’t really have time to show him around the way he wanted. As the trip drew closer, the picture in Tyler’s mind of him and Jamie spending time together in his old city became his central focus. And now, it seems like they’re off to a rocky start.

“Do you think we’ll be able to get a flight out ok?”

Jamie’s voice is soft, and by the look on his face Tyler can tell he feels for bad asking the question. “I honestly don’t know. They had a big tropical storm a couple days ago, so getting to the East coast might be a bit tight right now.”

The cab driver looks back in the rear view mirror. “Where are you boys flying to?”

“Boston.”

“Oh, man. I dunno, O’hare’s been pretty crazy the past couple days. Good luck.”

Jamie and Tyler exchange wary glances but say nothing. They’re nearly at the terminal. Once they pull to a stop, they haul ass getting all of their bags onto a cart and into the line at check in. The driver wasn’t exaggerating; the airport is a zoo. “Ok, well we’re here.”

Tyler shrugs with a small smile as though that’s an accomplishment in itself. Jamie gives him a skeptical look. “Yeah, but look at this place Seggy--”

“It’ll be alright, man.”

“How do you know?”

“I don’t, but what’s the point in freaking the fuck out about it now?”

Jamie nods at Tyler’s pointed look and keeps his mouth shut while they continue to wait in line. But even though he isn’t saying anything, Tyler can tell that Jamie’s still stewing with anxiety. It’s like he can see the wheels turning away in Jamie’s head, working him up into a frenzy that he can’t actually do anything about. Thankfully, they reach the front of the line quickly.

“What can I help you two with today?”

“Hi, yes, I’m Tyler Seguin, and this is Jamie Benn, and we missed our flight.”

“Oh. I see. Where was your destination supposed to be?”

“Boston.”

“Oh.”

Tyler doesn’t miss the wince that the attendant tries to hide. “Um, well unfortunately, because of the weather, we don’t have any available flights to Boston until Friday.”

“That’s two days from now!” Jamie squeaks.

Tyler places his hand on Jamie’s shoulder, partially to comfort him and partially to shut him up. “Ma’am, I understand that it must be super busy, but money isn’t a problem. We can pay any amount to--”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Seguin, but that’s not the problem. Even if you’d be willing to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars, there simply aren’t any available seats. The best I can do is check your bags, and try to get you on standby.”

It takes Tyler a second to reply. His face is frozen in a blank stare, betraying no emotion whatsoever. Jamie pokes him in the side and he startles. “Tyler, man, what do you wanna do?”

“Uh, yeah. Ok. If this is the best we can do…”

His voice is tight and paper-thin, like he is moments away from breaking down. Surprised at the apparent emotion in his friend’s voice, Jamie places his hand at the small of Tyler’s back. “Hey, bro, don’t worry. We’ll get there eventually.”

“Yeah.”

Tyler’s eyes fix on the ground as the airline receptionist weighs their bags, and Jamie doesn’t remove his hand, applying gentle pressure in a way that he hopes is soothing. They accept their boarding passes and make their way over to the security line. While they’re waiting, Tyler looks at Jamie with a sad, almost guilty expression. “I can’t believe I fucked this up man. I’m so pissed at myself right now.”

Tyler’s voice is so quiet, but that doesn’t take away from the depth of emotion it holds. Jamie is too startled to respond right away, but the hangdog look on Tyler’s face breaks his heart. “Dude, it was an accident. It could have happened to anyone.”

“Yeah, but it didn’t. And now we might not get there in time for the party.”

“Seggy, it’s fine, man. Besides, if you want to be mad at someone, this is equally my fault. I was supposed to set an alarm on my phone too.”

Jamie looks so sincere that Tyler can’t do anything but nod. He doesn’t know how to explain to Jamie the extent to which he’s built this trip up in his head. It’s true that it wouldn’t be the end of the world if they get there a couple days late, but that doesn’t make Tyler feel like less of a failure.

***

They make it through the security line without any excitement, and set off to find the gate where the next flight to Boston will be taking off. It still doesn’t board for a couple hours, and there’s no way to know if there will be room on standby until everyone else is in their seats. They decide that the best course of action is to grab some food and check with the gate attendant about their spot on the standby list. Out of all the takeaway options, they grab these weird grilled chicken salads that are definitely not appropriate for 10am, and head back to their gate to pester the attendant. “Hm, yes I see you both here.”

She nods and smiles at them, clearly wanting them to sit their asses down and be patient. Tyler is starting to get agitated, shifting uneasily from one foot to the other. “Okay, but what number are we on the list?”

“Well,” she smiles sweetly, “you are currently at numbers 8 and 9. So it’s not likely that you’ll get on this flight, but it’s not impossible.”

“How likely is it?”

The more strung out Tyler gets, the more clipped his tone becomes. The attendant’s smile gets hostile in return. “Do you want me to be really honest?”

 _No_ , Jamie thinks, but Tyler is standing in front of him nodding. “It’s not going to happen, at least not on any flight today. You’re welcome to wait, but you are going to move further down the list to give priority to those whose flights were cancelled due to weather.”

“What?!” Tyler’s volume increases abruptly. “That’s not fair, we’re here now! We should get priority!”

“I’m sorry, but we don’t move up those who miss their flights on their own above those who had their flights cancelled. It’s just policy, sir, I’m sure you’ll understand.”

Tyler looks like he’s been slapped in the face, so Jamie steps in. “Thanks, um, we’re just going to wait, um, over here.”

He places a gentle hand on Tyler’s elbow and guides him over to the seat next to their carry-ons. Once he’s seated, Jamie attempts to get a read on Tyler, but his blank, shocked stare into the middle distance is hard to parse. “Ty?”

Tyler’s widened eyes shift onto Jamie’s face, and Jamie notices for the first time that they are a bit watery and red around the edges. After seeing the pitying look that Jamie is leveling at him, Tyler suddenly stands up. “I’m, uh, going to take a leak.”

He barely makes it to the bathroom before tears are spilling on his cheeks in earnest _. Fuck, why the fuck am I crying?_ Tyler thinks to himself. _This is so stupid, it doesn’t fucking matter. It’s just a trip, calm the fuck down._

He looks at himself in the mirror, taking in the wobbling lower lip and bloodshot eyes. He looks pathetic, and he can’t get his mind to catch up to the aching in his chest that is setting off the waterworks. He logically knows that this isn’t a crisis, that they’ll get to Boston in a couple days and they won’t have missed much. But the tightness at the base of his throat seems to disagree. His eyes and chest are reacting like he’s done something terrible to Jamie that he needs to repent for. It’s like his body is of the mind that Tyler is a terrible friend and needs to be punished. It sucks. He splashes some water on his face and dries his hands slowly. After a few deep breaths, he’s tentatively ready to head back to the gate.

Jamie’s look of concern almost knocks the breath out of him, but Tyler steels himself and flops down in the chair next to his friend. “Sorry about that, man.”

“You good?”

“Yeah, I’m just fucking stressed.”

“Yeah, I get it.”

Jamie pats him on the knee reassuringly and Tyler’s stomach clenches. _That’s weird_ , Tyler thinks, _since when do I mind Jamie touching me?_

The time passes quicker than expected, and before they know it the flight is starting to board. By now, they’re number 11 and 12 on the standby list. “This blows.”

Tyler is leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, his head hanging down beneath his shoulders. Jamie suppresses the instinct to pat him on the back, remembering the tight look he got the last time he touched Tyler. “Do you want me to get out my computer, check other airlines?”

“We only get a half hour of free Internet, I don’t want to waste it until we’re really giving up.”

Jamie nods, and tries to come up with a mental list of other things he can do to help Tyler. His emotions have been all over the charts today, and Jamie wants nothing more to calm him down enough to show him that this is no big deal. But of course, Tyler’s self-flagellation dates back before he event met Jamie, and he is undoubtedly feeling all kinds of incompetent for missing their flight. It’s just as well, then, that Jamie feels useless at being unable to cheer Tyler up.

They don’t get on the flight, along with about nine other people who had also been waiting on standby. Tyler takes a moment to feel even worse, knowing that many of these people probably had their flights cancelled on them and he has no right to be acting like such a baby. The gate attendant directs them to a different gate where the next flight to Boston will be departing in three more hours. They haven’t moved up the standby list, and for now all they can do is wait.

***

“Want to watch a movie?”

Jamie looks at Tyler quizzically. “I thought we were saving our Internet.”

“I have some illegally downloaded ones on my laptop.”

Jamie chuckles a bit. “Of course you do.”

He settles in anyway, leaning against Tyler’s shoulder as he takes one of his earbuds from him. Tyler realizes that it’s the first time he’s seen Jamie smile in hours. _Shit._

In all his emo brooding about missing the flight, Tyler completely forgot that the whole point of this trip, the thing he’d been looking the most forward to, was being able to actually hang out with Jamie. Not like during the season, when Jamie is almost always tense, and almost always thinking about hockey. Tyler’s been so excited to get to really enjoy Jamie’s company, and hopefully get him to relax and have a good time. And now Tyler’s gone and fucked it up, not by missing the flight, but by having such a fucking bad attitude that it’s all Jamie can do to keep him from breaking down. He’s fixing this shit right now.

“Alright,” he grins up at Jamie and waggles his eyebrows suggestively, “I have some movies that are definitely not airport appropriate, so we’ll skip those.”

Jamie giggles and his nose crinkles up, and Tyler’s heart soars. _There it is._

They settle on some dumb Seth Rogan comedy and try to keep their snickers to a minimum so as not to disturb the other disgruntled travelers around them. Although at one point, Jamie elbows Tyler so hard while he’s laughing that Tyler ends up on the floor, which of course only makes Jamie laugh harder. Tyler surreptitiously flips Jamie off as he gets back into his seat, but there’s a warmth in his eyes that he sees reflected back at him in Jamie’s big brown ones.

By the time their movie is done, the next flight to Boston is about to board. There’s only one other flight left after this one, and they haven’t moved up on the standby list. Tyler gives Jamie a shrug and a look of determination. “Ok, so it looks like it’s not happening. Let’s try the internet.”

Jamie nods and pulls out his laptop. They both click around from site to site silently, as the flight they don’t get seats on boards and leaves without them. It’s quiet for a while, just the sounds of their typing and clicking filling the airspace between them. After what feels like hours, but in reality is probably only fifteen minutes, Jamie sucks in a breath.

“Dude, what is it?”

Tyler doesn’t want to get his hopes up, but Jamie’s eyes are wide with something like relief. “Ok, so there are seats available--”

“Do it.”

“Wait a second Segs, it doesn’t leave until tomorrow morning.”

“That’s fine.”

“It’s really early.”

“I don’t care.”

“It’s on a different airline.”

“So we’ll lose a little money, it’s fine, Bennie. Book the tickets. We can go to the terminal and just sleep there.”

“Uh, it’s not out of Chicago. It’s out of Milwaukee.”

Tyler blinks. “Milwaukee?”

“Yeah, like Wisconsin.”

“That’s a couple hours from here, right?”

“Yeah.”

Tyler thinks about for a moment, and then nods. “Book the tickets.”

Jamie’s fingers start flying across the keyboard, and he’s talking to Tyler without looking at him. “It’s not a direct flight, there’s a connection in La Guardia but it’s enough of a layover that I think we’ll be fine. We have to make sure we don’t fucking sleep in. Set your alarm now for 4 AM.”

Tyler obediently opens his phone alarm and sets it for 4:00, 4:01, 4:02, and 4:05. He’s mulling over the rapid change of plans when he suddenly has a flash of memory. “Hang on, did you say Milwaukee?”

“Yeah, why?”

Jamie’s fingers freeze on the keyboard and he’s looking at Tyler with a fearful expression, like Tyler’s about to admit that he’s actually barred from entering the state of Wisconsin after committing some egregious crime having to do with cheese.

“I think I know someone there we could stay with.”

“What? We can just get a hotel, man.”

“Nah, this’ll be better. It’ll be like an adventure!”

Jamie makes a valiant effort to hide his smile. “Is this not enough of an adventure for you already?”

Tyler’s answering grin tells him all he needs to know. “Just let me call Mark, see what he says.”

Mark, as it turns out, is Tyler’s dad’s friend from college. He was best man at Tyler’s parents’ wedding, and now he lives in Milwaukee with his wife, Karen, and two kids in high school. Also, he is nothing short of delighted when he answers the phone. “Tyler! How are you, pal? It’s been a while!”

“Hey, Mark! Listen, it’s kind of a funny story,” Tyler grins at Jamie with the phone pressed up to his ear. “But I’m kinda stuck in Milwaukee for the night, is there any chance me and Jamie Benn could come crash at yours for a few hours?”

“Are you kidding?! Of course! Where the hell are you?”

“We’re at O’hare--”

“Oh perfect, there’s a shuttle you can take from there. Wait, why are you at O’hare?”

Tyler chuckles. “It’s really a great story, I’ll tell you when we get there.”

“Ok, kid. Let me know when you’ll be getting here and I’ll come pick you up.”

When Tyler hangs up the phone, the smile on his face widens comically. “See, this is going to be so cool, man!”

“Ok, whatever you say Segs. Here, I’ll send you your boarding pass.”

They get all their belongings organized and make their way out of the terminal, over to the shuttle stop where a charter bus will come to take them to downtown Milwaukee.

***

The bus ride is only a couple of hours, and it takes them through a part of the Midwest that is flat as far as the eye can see. Jamie has his face pressed up against the glass of the window, and at first Tyler’s happy to just let him daydream, but when he looks closer he sees that Jamie’s eyes have drifted closed and his mouth is hanging slightly open.

Tyler takes a moment to just look at him without the fear of being caught. The soft lines of Jamie’s face contrast with the perpetually wrinkled brow he sports during the majority of the season. In his sleep, he looks much younger than his 27 years, unworried and vulnerable. Tyler tries to get a handle on the warmth spreading in his gut, and looks away from Jamie’s peaceful form. The truth of his feelings for Jamie has always been a little too sharp in these tranquil moments, needling at him until he feels twitchy and agitated. The easy touches and gentle companionship that have permeated their friendship for years are too precious for Tyler to ever put them in jeopardy, but in these quiet moments he feels himself wanting to push that line despite the possible consequences. He knows that the urges to test the boundaries of their relationship are remnants from his more reckless youth, and he has no problem squashing them down before anything comes of it. But sometimes, if he’s feeling indulgent, Tyler lets himself think about what it would feel like if he didn’t resist the impulse to reach out and intertwine his fingers with Jamie’s.

The shuttle pulls to a stop in downtown Milwaukee, and the cease in motion shifts Jamie awake. He blinks blearily at Tyler. “We here?”

The sleepy look on his face all but wrecks Tyler. “Yeah, man. Grab your stuff.”

They shuffle onto the sidewalk to see Mark standing next to a silver minivan, huge smile on his face and arms spread wide. “You made it!”

Tyler allows himself to be wrapped into a hug with a sheepish smile on his face. Jamie’s smiling shyly too when he shakes Mark’s hand. “Hi, I’m Jamie. Thanks so much for helping us out.”

“Oh, no problem at all, boys! Karen and the kids are so excited to see you, Tyler. And they’re looking forward to meeting you, Jamie.”

He loads up their small bags into the car, and Tyler hops in the passenger seat while Jamie folds himself into the back. The drive isn’t far, but Mark’s family actually lives in the suburbs just outside Milwaukee, rather than in the heart of downtown. Mark is rambling on about the family’s plans for the evening, and letting them know that even though it’s a work night and rather last minute, they couldn’t be happier about the two of them stopping by. “Well, Jake has an orchestra concert tonight, so you boys are going to have to find dinner on your own. Unless you’d like to come?”

He gives them a moment of awkwardly trying to keep their faces neutral while finding a polite way to turn down the offer before breaking out in raucous laughter. “Are you kidding? No way are you coming! Hell, I wouldn’t go if Karen didn’t make me.”

Mark chuckles to himself while Tyler and Jamie exchange relieved looks and sheepish chuckles. “Anyway, you’ll have to excuse the state of our house. We’re remodeling the whole main floor so everything is a bit of a mess--”

“Oh, wow, I’m sorry for intruding. If you had said, I mean, we could have gotten a hotel--”

“Nonsense! You boys are more than welcome. Especially if your flight is early, there’s no sense in paying for a room for just a couple hours.”

Tyler catches Jamie’s pointed look in the rearview mirror but refuses to feel guilty for rejecting the hotel. Soon they’re pulling into Mark’s driveway, and Tyler and Jamie are led in through the front door into what can only be described as a scene out of the end of ET, when the interior of the house is set up as an alien hospital. There are plastic tarps everywhere from floor to ceiling, with exposed wooden beams in between. Tyler stops short and Jamie bumps into him from behind, both of their eyes going wide. “Um.”

Before Tyler can voice his regrets, a shrill squealing sound starts coming from somewhere within the house, getting increasingly louder as it gets closer. Suddenly a woman bursts out from behind a tarp and flings her arms around Tyler, all the while emitting high-pitched shrieks of delight. “Oh my goodness! You’re here!”

She releases him from her tight embrace and holds him at arms length. “Oh, Ty, you’ve gotten so big since we last saw you! Look at you!”

She shifts her eyes up to Jamie, and smiles hugely before clasping one of his hands in both of hers. “You must be Jamie, dear, I’m Karen. We’re so happy you boys are dropping in on us like this. What a fun surprise!”

Her volume hasn’t decreased despite the fact that she’s standing not more than a foot away from them, and her slightly manic smile hasn’t dimmed a bit. Mark stands behind her with a wry look on his face. “Honey, don’t we have to get going to the recital?”

“Oh yes, but let me show the boys where they can drop their stuff first.”

Tyler and Jamie exchange bemused shrugs as she turns around to lead the way. Karen helps them navigate through the tarps until they reach a narrow staircase leading up several flights. They finally reach the attic, where the ceilings are low and there is only one door leading into a room that is half filled with boxes. “So sorry for all the mess, just with the renovations--”

“No, no. We absolutely don’t mind. Thank you so much.”

Tyler’s good Canadian manners come to the rescue, but they don’t stop him from elbowing Jamie in the ribs behind Karen’s back. Uncharacteristically, Jamie hasn’t said any words of appreciation, and is just staring dumbly at the double bed that occupies the other half of the room. Karen turns around and follows his gaze to the bed. “We only have the one guest bed at the moment, is it a problem for you two to share?”

Ah. Tyler suddenly realizes what had stopped Jamie in his tracks. Tyler takes a moment to school his features into something neutral, meets Jamie’s eyes, and shrugs as nonchalantly as possible. Jamie’s eyes widen, and he looks at the floor and gives a small nod. Tyler tries not to feel too wounded by Jamie’s apparent disinclination to share a bed with him, and smiles reassuringly at Karen. “This is more than fine, thank you so much for doing this.”

Karen smiles and pats Tyler’s cheek. “We’re so happy to have you here, dear. I’ll let you know when we’re on our way back from the concert.”

She retreats from the room and leaves Jamie and Tyler standing motionless at the foot of the bed. After a heavy pause, they look at each other with shared grimaces. Tyler tries to emulate the dread that he’s sure Jamie is feeling. “It’s not so bad, we’ll only need a couple hours of sleep.”

Jamie glares at Tyler. “Dude, this is why I wanted a hotel.”

“Aw, c’mon. It’s a waste of money; we have to be at the airport at like 4:30.”  
“I guess,” Jamie grumbles.

Tyler accepts that answer as the best he’s going to get and drops his things, plopping down on one side of the bed and pulling out his phone. “I’m going to look up someplace for us to eat.”

“Good, I’m starving.”

Tyler can’t really get a read off Jamie’s face, but he doesn’t sound as grumpy as he did a couple seconds ago. He does seem quiet though, a bit more closed off than usual. Tyler shrugs it off and lets Jamie get settled while he tries to find them a restaurant within walking distance. With any luck, he might be able to find them some cheese curds.

***

The restaurant Tyler picks is more of a bar, but it’s close enough for them to walk from Mark and Karen’s house, so Jamie doesn’t put up much of a fight. Their route takes them directly through the center of town, and it’s actually kind of cute to see how small and Midwestern it is. As they’re walking, the sun starts to set over the park in front of the public library. The golden tones sweeping over the benches and pathways make the whole town look aflame. Tyler stops in his tracks and takes out his phone, bracing himself for the chirping. “Dude, are you taking sunset photos?”

“Shut up, it’s fucking beautiful, man.”

Tyler turns back to look at Jamie, preparing to defend his honor, but Jamie is just smiling at him with a weird, almost shy look on his face. Tyler can’t help but grin back. “I want to have a picture to commemorate our great adventure.”

Jamie chuckles. “It’s been alright so far.”

Tyler preens and pulls on Jamie’s elbow to get him moving again. They walk in companionable silence for a couple minutes until they reach the restaurant. It’s small, kind of a hole in the wall, but Jamie just shrugs as Tyler holds the door for him.

The inside is admittedly much cooler looking than the outside, with the entire back wall covered in a chalkboard with the menu written on it in artful script. Beneath the chalkboard is a shelf full of various board games, and the tables are scattered around at different heights. Small, dangling light fixtures cast the room in hazy shadows, giving the small space added intimacy. The bar runs along the wall opposite the chalkboard, and they walk over to place their order before finding their seats. Because Tyler is on a streak of good luck, the bar does in fact serve fried cheese curds. Jamie rolls his eyes, but allows Tyler to order them a small basket to share. Once they’re armed with a beer each, they make their way to table near the back with the numbered sign for their food order. As they pass the shelf of games, a small yellow bag catches Tyler’s eye. “Oh shit! Bananagrams!”

He reaches out for the small, banana-shaped baggie and wiggles his eyebrows at Jamie. “Ready for me to whoop your ass, Benn?”

Jamie smiles, happy to feed off of Tyler’s good mood. “I don’t know, Seggy, I’m pretty good at Bananagrams.”

“Shit, really?”

Tyler’s smile is no longer teasing, but if anything it grows wider; he looks genuinely happy to have learned something new about Jamie. They settle down at one of the low tables and spread out the tiles between them. “How did I not know you like this game, dude?”

“I dunno, we don’t really play board games much.”

“True. I used to play this all the time with my friends in Juniors.”

“Really?”

Jamie has a hard time imagining Tyler sitting still and playing games with his hockey bros, but as he watches Tyler spread out the tiles with a look of concentration on his face, he finds himself picturing quiet afternoons spent spread out on his living room floor, just the two of them with nowhere to be, laughing as they try to keep the dogs from eating the game pieces. Jamie can feel his face heat up from his daydreaming, and tries not to give away how fast his heart is beating just from catching himself wanting something like that. Something with Tyler.

“Eh, Bennie? You ready or what?”

Tyler’s smirk is flirty as hell, but then again it always is. Not that knowing that helps lower Jamie’s pulse, but he’s able to swallow hard and return a grin that he hopes is equally cocky. “You’re going down, Seggy.”

***

They turn out to be pretty equally matched. Tyler wins the first game, and Jamie wins the second. They take breaks when the food comes and to get up to retrieve a couple more drinks. After a while they stop playing against each other and try to work together to spell the dirtiest words they can think of. Jamie’s giggle gets louder and his flush gets brighter, and Tyler can’t keep his eyes off him. Eventually, Tyler gets a text from Karen saying that they’re back at the house, and Tyler reluctantly suggests they head home to meet them.

Jamie would never admit it out loud, but he kind of doesn’t want to leave. The way that Tyler’s looking at him in the low light makes something warm and fragile settle in his stomach. He worries that leaving might scare it away.

But he supposes Tyler’s right that they should go home and be nice to the family that is so generously putting them up. They pack up the game and head out, thankful that the walk home isn’t too far. The intermittent street lamps are the only light they have to go by, and Tyler occasionally sways into Jamie’s side. Jamie smirks, and jostles him in return. Before they know it, they’re shoving at each other and horsing around, not making much progress towards home, but giggling like crazy. They’re breathing heavily and smiling at each other like they haven’t just spent the past 12 hours attached at the hip. Jamie suddenly realizes that they aren’t walking at all, just standing there in the dark, grinning at each other in the light of the street lamps. His cheeks flush pink, and he looks down at his feet and clears his throat. “Um, we should keep going.”

He internally cringes at how dumb it sounds out loud, but when he looks back up at Tyler’s face he’s still smiling at him. It’s a softer smile, kind of like he’s not sure what to make of Jamie, but it’s a smile nonetheless. “Yeah, ok, c’mon.”

They walk the rest of the way without much messing around, just quietly commenting on inane things like the weather and the town, and wind up walking back into Mark’s house just in time to hear elevated voices coming from behind some of the tarps. They follow the sound until they reach a small sitting room where the family is gathered around a folding card table that they seem to have set up as a makeshift dining room. Once they come into view, Karen immediately gets to her feet. “Welcome back boys! How was dinner?”

“Oh, it was great.” Tyler rubs his stomach and Jamie nods his head in agreement. “We found a nice place with board games and cheese curds.”

The girl sitting at the table lets out a small laugh, like she can’t believe that’s all it takes to convince them of the quality of a restaurant. Tyler looks at the two kids sitting at the table, searching for familiarity but finding none. “You guys must be Lily and Jake, but it’s been so long that I hardly recognize you! How old are you now?”

Lily, the girl, positively beams at Tyler remembering her name. “I’m going into freshman year, and Jake’s going to be a senior now.”

“Wow, jeez, I must be getting old.”

Tyler shoots her his killer smile. Jamie fights the urge to roll his eyes at the blush creeping up her face as she giggles. If he had a nickel for every time Tyler made a girl look like that, he would be able to quit the NHL. Not that he would, but still.

Jake, the boy sitting at the table, still hasn’t looked up from the placemat in front of him. Tyler seems to notice him, and can’t turn off the charm. “Hey man, how did the concert go?”

“Fine,” Jake grumbles, still not looking up.

Karen has a pained smile pasted on her face. “Jake, honey, why don’t you tell the boys about it?”

Jamie notices Mark roll his eyes at his wife’s prodding. But Jake finally looks up and speaks to Tyler. “It went alright, I’m not that good or anything. But it was fine.”

His eyes drift over to Jamie, but the second they land on him Jake’s face turns bright red and he looks away almost immediately. Tyler notices, and also registers the look of surprise on Jamie’s face. _Huh._

Unfortunately for Jake, Lily also noticed. She turns to Jamie with a malicious glint in her eye. “He watches all of your games, you know. Not for you, Tyler,” she adds glancing back at him, “for him.”

Her nod towards Jamie says enough, and Jake looks like he wants to melt into the floor. Karen and Mark exchange sheepish grins. Tyler takes pity on the poor kid and tries to lighten the mood. “Hey, well I can’t blame you. Bennie’s a beast on the ice.”

The smile he directs at Jamie sends heat blooming in his stomach, and Jamie’s face lights up a shade of pink that rivals Jake’s.

Jake watches the entire interaction with wide eyes, seemingly unable to avert his gaze. Jamie is suddenly hit with a wave of fierce protectiveness for the kid. He knows how it feels to be painfully shy, to be more interested in certain boys than is considered strictly “normal.” He takes a step forward and rests a hand on the back of Jake’s chair, aiming a soft grin directly at him and keeping his voice gentle. “Thanks for watching, man. That’s what we do this for, you know?”

Jake nods, maintaining focused eye contact with Jamie, who grins a little wider. “Would it be ok if I sent you tickets sometime? Next time we’re in Chicago?”

Jake’s eyes grow wider than Jamie thought possible as he nods again, and Jamie lets out a small chuckle and pats the kid’s shoulder. “Cool, man. It’s a date.”

With his face so red that he can no longer maintain eye contact, Jake looks back at the table with the smallest of grins. Jamie looks up and meets Tyler’s eyes, and is almost knocked out by the look of open affection that is waiting for him there. He returns Tyler’s warm smile while his heart flutters out of beat in his chest.

Tyler honestly can’t fucking help it. Watching Jamie being gentle and kind to a kid that reminds him so much of Jamie tears Tyler’s heart into a million little pieces. And seeing the adoring look on Jake’s face feels so bracingly familiar that Tyler finds himself short of breath. Looking at Jamie like he hangs the fucking moon is relatable to the point where Tyler wants to laugh, wrap an arm around Jake and nod, _Me too, kid, me too._

Soon after, Karen sends them up to bed, insisting that they need to get as much sleep as possible before their flight tomorrow. Tyler and Jamie allow themselves to be herded upstairs after saying goodnight to everyone. Neither of them misses the lingering smile on Jake’s face after Jamie shakes his hand.

When the door to the attic room clicks behind them, Tyler turns to look at Jamie dead on. “That was really cool of you, man.”

Jamie feels his face heat up under the praise. “Eh, it was nothing, I--”

“No, I mean it. You’re a good guy, Bennie. The best guy.”

Tyler reaches out and squeezes Jamie’s forearm, like he knows that Jamie couldn’t possibly respond to a compliment like that. Jamie smiles a bit at his feet and murmurs, “Thanks.”

Tyler’s grin is so sweet that it breaks Jamie’s heart a bit to look at it, so he doesn’t. “Jake, though, he’s got some seriously good taste.”

Jamie’s eyes snap up to meet Tyler’s, wide as saucers. Jamie’s frozen in shock, can’t speak or move away from where Tyler’s hand is still gripping his arm. “Jamie, I know that the past 24 hours haven’t really gone like we expected, but I’m glad that it happened and I’m glad it happened with you.”

Tyler’s eyes are shining and earnest and Jamie’s all but stopped breathing. “I, yeah, man. Me too.”

Tyler huffs out a laugh and his eyes crinkle in the corners. “So good with words, Bennie.”

He releases Jamie’s forearm, pats him once on the shoulder, and turns to start undressing for bed. Jamie is stock still, frozen to the spot, unable to move his eyes off of Tyler’s back. That look of warm fondness washes around his brain, drowning out any ability to think of anything else. Eventually, he snaps out of it, and strips off his shirt and pants, mirroring Tyler’s boxers-only pajamas. They climb into bed with minimal fumbling, and manage to prop themselves against the headboard without touching too much. It’s still ridiculously early, too early to sleep. “Hey,” Tyler nudges Jamie with his elbow, “want to watch a show or something?”

Jamie just nods, grateful for a distraction from how close he and Tyler are on the bed. Tyler pulls out his laptop and queues up an episode of Brooklyn 99 before leaning back and slightly into Jamie. They shift a little to get comfortable, and end up with their shoulders pressed together, heads tilted so they can both see the screen.

Jamie tries really hard to follow along with the show, but he’s so hyperaware of the heat coming off Tyler’s skin that it’s all he can do to hear the words over the staccato beat of his own thumping heart. It’s a miracle that Tyler doesn’t seem to notice. Tyler’s too busy mulling over the look he had seen on Jamie’s face when he said that Jake had good taste. He can’t tell if it’s blind optimism clouding his judgment, or if Jamie really did seem awestruck by the compliment. A small flicker of hope in Tyler’s chest distracts him from the show, and he passes the time slowly inching further down the bed. After a few episodes, they agree to turn the lights off and try to get a couple hours of sleep. More shifting leads to Tyler facing towards the wall, away from Jamie, with Jamie staring at his back. There’s a few inches of space between their all-but-naked bodies, and Jamie can’t fucking get his mind and heart to stop racing. “Jamie?”

Tyler speaks into the darkness all of the sudden.

“Yeah, Ty?”

“I can hear you thinking from over here.”

He rolls back around to face Jamie, who Tyler knows is blushing despite the fact that he can’t see it.

“Sorry,” Jamie mumbles.

Tyler can’t help the small gurgle of laughter that escapes him. “S’okay, man. I’m not really tired either.”

“No?”

By the light filtering in through the blinds on the window, Tyler can just barely make out Jamie’s widened eyes and plush lips. His heart stutters, but Tyler steels himself regardless. “Jamie, if I’m reading this all wrong, I’m sorry, but--”

Instead of finishing his sentence, he leans forward and closes the gap between them with a soft press of his lips against Jamie’s. Jamie responds with a slight gasp, and then snakes his arm around Tyler’s neck to pull him closer.

After a few more hesitant kisses, they break apart grinning. “So,” Tyler starts, not knowing what to say.

“You weren’t reading it wrong.”

Jamie’s shy smile makes Tyler’s heart clench, and he can’t respond other than by leaning in to kiss him again, and again. They trade lazy kisses, ignoring the insistent tug to ramp up the intensity, and instead drift off to sleep like that, curled up into each other.

***

The next morning, on their 5 AM flight to La Guardia, Tyler looks over at Jamie sitting next to him, slumped against his shoulder not even ten minutes after take off. Tyler chuckles to himself, but can’t really blame Jamie for being so sleep deprived. The past day has been a complete whirlwind, and truthfully Tyler could not have foreseen it turning out the way it has.

He looks out the window, watching the sun rise and light up the clouds from beneath them. Part of him wants to poke Jamie awake, make him watch the beauty unfold, but the other part wants to watch the myriad colors dance across Jamie’s sleeping face and watch the beauty for himself. Tyler smiles softly and shifts a bit so he can twine his fingers with Jamie’s surreptitiously in the pocket of his hoodie. Jamie stirs a bit, but doesn’t wake, just grips Tyler’s hand in his lap and pulls himself closer, sighing gently. As Tyler’s heart swells, he realizes that even though this may have happened anyway, he’s never been more grateful for a missed flight.

 

**Author's Note:**

> So obviously there was a lot of handwaving going on here, but thanks for bearing with me, this was so fun to write!


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